The present invention relates to a bandwidth-efficient communication protocol for wireless information browsers having access to broadcast and unicast content.
Wireless communication systems are well-known. Such systems typically include stationary base stations that are provided in communication with a larger communication network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or an Internet, and with one or more mobile stations. The base stations and mobile stations exchange data via radio communication links. A variety of access techniques are known for wireless communication systems, including frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division. multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA), among others. For the purposes of this discussion, the differences among the access techniques are immaterial; it is necessary only to understand that each access technique defines xe2x80x9ctraffic channelsxe2x80x9d through which base stations and mobile stations may exchange data in a manner that simulates unicast, point-to-point transmission.
xe2x80x9cUnicast transmissionxe2x80x9d refers to a private transmission that occurs between a strictly defined set of members in a communication system. Ordinary domestic telephone service is an example of unicast transmission. In an ordinary telephone call, a telephone network establishes a temporary point-to-point communication link between two terminals in the network. When a caller speaks during the progress of this call, the caller""s speech is delivered only to the other call participant and no other.
Unicast transmission may be contrasted with xe2x80x9cbroadcast transmission,xe2x80x9d a mode of communication where information is intended to be received by an unregulated number of members in a communication system. Traditional FM and AM public radio stations serve as an example of broadcast transmission.
A traditional wireless communication system typically provides xe2x80x9csimulated unicast service.xe2x80x9d Each traffic channel typically is broadcast within a cell, a predetermined geographic region of coverage, and can be received by any other member of the system. However, certain control mechanisms exist to prevent unintentional reception of traffic channels. For example, most mobile stations are programmed to monitor a predetermined traffic channel, called a xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d channel, to establish wireless calls. Unless commanded to tune to another traffic channel, the mobile stations typically will neither transmit nor receive data in the other traffic channels. Thus, unicast service is achieved for the other traffic channels.
It is foreseeable that there will be significant consumer demand for wireless communication systems that support high rate data operations such as Internet browsing. Internet browsing, however, raises significant challenges to wireless service providers. For example, radio spectrum is a scarce commodity in wireless systems. The high data rates that are required for the transfer of video and/or audio data are thought to be prohibitive in a wireless application.
A straightforward application of Internet browsing in wireless communication systems would transmit data, such as web pages and the like, to each mobile station in individual unicast traffic channels. However, such a scheme is readily recognized as inefficient. While technologies exist to transfer data to a small set of mobile stations, they have problems with scale. A cell site likely will not posses sufficient bandwidth to transfer data to a large number of mobile stations simultaneously. The volume of data to be broadcast to a large number of subscribers simply overwhelms the resources of the wireless system.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a wireless data protocol that permits high rate data transfers in wireless systems. Further, there is a need in the art for such a protocol that reduces the total quantity of data that is transmitted in the wireless system.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a hypertext protocol for Internet browsing applications in which hyperlinks can address traffic channels in a wireless system. Broadcast information content may be transmitted by the wireless system in one or more broadcast traffic channels. Multiple mobile stations may receive the broadcast information content simultaneously. Because the mobile stations share the broadcast traffic channels, a high throughput is achieved with proportionately less bandwidth being broadcast into a cell site.